Pathway through Everglades planned

Completion years away, but officials optimistic

Tamiami Trail runs through the Everglades. A paved path for bikes and pedestrians… (Lori Oberhofer/Everglades…)

February 14, 2013|By David Fleshler, Sun Sentinel

A paved, 75-mile path through the Everglades would allow cyclists, joggers and pedestrians to encounter alligators without dodging automobiles.

The planned River of Grass Greenway would parallel Tamiami Trail most of the way, starting at Krome Avenue in Miami-Dade County and running through Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and other wilderness lands that are home to Florida panthers, black bears, alligators and other wildlife.

"This is a way people can learn about the Everglades, learn about the history and culture of the area," said Patty Huff, an avid long-distance cyclist who helped come up with the idea and who publishes the Everglades City newspaper The Mullet Rapper.

The path, which would be 12 to 14 feet wide, would be available to cyclists, bird watchers, pedestrians, people in wheelchairs – but not to motor vehicles.

The project is in the early stages, with funding yet to be obtained and construction years away. There are clear environmental issues involved with any sort of road-building along a national park, particularly on a route surrounded by wetlands.

Still, the project has the backing of the Florida Department of Transportation, Miami-Dade County, Collier County and the National Park Service, with $5 million available to get it started.

The Florida Department of Transportation has begun the initial planning work. Workshops to gather ideas from the public are scheduled for Feb. 26 to March 2 at Everglades City Hall and March 12 to 16 in Miami-Dade County at a location to be announced later.

The FDOT expects to present alternatives at public meetings this summer, with the final plan completed early next year and submitted for approval to the Federal Highway Administration, FDOT spokeswoman Debbie Tower said.

Like the Transcontinental Railroad, the trail would probably be constructed from each end, meeting in the middle. The first segment is likely to be the 16-mile stretch from County Road 29 to State Road 29 in Collier County. Another early stretch would be from Krome Avenue to the Shark Valley entrance to Everglades National Park, where a 15-mile bike loop runs through the Everglades.

Mark Heinicke, project manager for Miami-Dade County's Department of Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces, one of the agencies leading the effort, said the construction of the initial segments should stimulate public interest in getting the whole job done.

"The key is to get the public involved and get them excited," he said. "We think it could be a fantastic economic engine and draw for tourism."

The exact route has yet to be determined, although options may be limited because of the National Park Service land on both sides of the road. Heinicke said there may be alternatives to sticking near the road, possibly by routing the path over levees running through the Everglades or through Loop Road, which veers south of Tamiami Trail.

Jonathan Ullman, Everglades representative for the Sierra Club, said the greenway could be a fine way for people to experience the Everglades without pumping pollution into the air from automobile tailpipes. He questioned the option of running part of the path over levees, though, saying these are impediments to the recovery of the Everglades that are likely to come down as part of the restoration work.

"On the existing corridor – great, but not on the levees," he said. "They have to come down to restore the flow of water, and that is the most important recovery goal."

The project was originally conceived in 2006 by the Naples Pathways Coalition, a group dedicated to establishing safe routes for cyclists and pedestrians.

Maureen Boness, a coalition member, said the project would be done with great respect for the environment and would allow people to get close to the Everglades without harming it.

"There should be a way to experience the Everglades at a slow pace and not get their feet wet," she said. "They can witness the Everglades as it's being restored, at a pace that's appropriate, not at 55 miles per hour."